Emma Meyer 12th September, 2012 EDC 102H Dr. Fogelman
Personal Expertise The German proverb “blood is thicker than water” is a prevalent maxim weighed heavily upon in our society. The underlying meaning of this saying, that of the importance of family over all other relationships, while frequently valid, does not remain true within all domestic situations. Although I have been fortunate enough to have a relatively close-knit immediate family, the turmoil faced beyond that circle has taught me that these kinships do not necessitate functional bonds. Instead, the fragile connections within relationships, family or not, must be based upon mutual respect, loyalty and love. Having acknowledged the vast significance of these qualities at a young age, I began to weigh the importance of friendship as greatly as I did family. With this expectation, I believe I have developed a personal expertise in developing and maintaining long term friendships.
The importance of such an expertise has become more apparent to me over the years. Having a group of people you can rely on no matter the situation is a luxury that one cannot afford to overlook. From having a friend to carry my books when crutch-ridden in school, to being able to rely on them to come to a funeral when a close loved one passed, I have been fortunate enough to always be able to depend on my friends. While I do not intend to undermine the importance of family, I have not been lucky enough to be able to say the same for them, only further confirming my premise on the significance of long-term friendships within one’s life.
I consider myself very privileged for sustaining such relationships over the course of my lifetime due to the fact that I recognize this is not the norm. In tenth grade, when I temporarily presided in such a norm after losing someone I considered one of my best friends for reasons that seem utterly insignificant now, I acknowledged for the first time how much more significance I tend to place on friendship than some. In fact, it was then that I realized my friends were as equally important to me as family. While this may appear to be a noble characteristic to some, it tends to leave me vulnerable, causing me to enter with great hesitance into any type of new relationship. Fortunately enough, the people whom I have befriended reciprocate the significance I place on friendship, and all of my relationships continue to thrive. While I attribute a decent portion of this successfulness to chance, I also acknowledge that my keen ability to foster relationships plays a large part in my prosperous friendships. Whether it be the best friend I've lived with for years, my most recent four year intimate relationship, or the friends I have kept since kindergarten, I put my all into any relationship in which I invest myself.
The prospect of people constantly walking in and out of my life is a reality I would never want to confront. I cannot imagine a world without my friends, which is why I believe I put so much effort into the relationships. This personal expertise I have developed through the years is one that I continually employ every day, and intend on doing so for years to come.
12th September, 2012
EDC 102H
Dr. Fogelman
Personal Expertise
The German proverb “blood is thicker than water” is a prevalent maxim weighed heavily upon in our society. The underlying meaning of this saying, that of the importance of family over all other relationships, while frequently valid, does not remain true within all domestic situations. Although I have been fortunate enough to have a relatively close-knit immediate family, the turmoil faced beyond that circle has taught me that these kinships do not necessitate functional bonds. Instead, the fragile connections within relationships, family or not, must be based upon mutual respect, loyalty and love. Having acknowledged the vast significance of these qualities at a young age, I began to weigh the importance of friendship as greatly as I did family. With this expectation, I believe I have developed a personal expertise in developing and maintaining long term friendships.
The importance of such an expertise has become more apparent to me over the years. Having a group of people you can rely on no matter the situation is a luxury that one cannot afford to overlook. From having a friend to carry my books when crutch-ridden in school, to being able to rely on them to come to a funeral when a close loved one passed, I have been fortunate enough to always be able to depend on my friends. While I do not intend to undermine the importance of family, I have not been lucky enough to be able to say the same for them, only further confirming my premise on the significance of long-term friendships within one’s life.
I consider myself very privileged for sustaining such relationships over the course of my lifetime due to the fact that I recognize this is not the norm. In tenth grade, when I temporarily presided in such a norm after losing someone I considered one of my best friends for reasons that seem utterly insignificant now, I acknowledged for the first time how much more significance I tend to place on friendship than some. In fact, it was then that I realized my friends were as equally important to me as family. While this may appear to be a noble characteristic to some, it tends to leave me vulnerable, causing me to enter with great hesitance into any type of new relationship. Fortunately enough, the people whom I have befriended reciprocate the significance I place on friendship, and all of my relationships continue to thrive. While I attribute a decent portion of this successfulness to chance, I also acknowledge that my keen ability to foster relationships plays a large part in my prosperous friendships. Whether it be the best friend I've lived with for years, my most recent four year intimate relationship, or the friends I have kept since kindergarten, I put my all into any relationship in which I invest myself.
The prospect of people constantly walking in and out of my life is a reality I would never want to confront. I cannot imagine a world without my friends, which is why I believe I put so much effort into the relationships. This personal expertise I have developed through the years is one that I continually employ every day, and intend on doing so for years to come.